Introduction:
In 2007 there were 244.4 Million registered vehicles in US. (1) The US consumed almost 21 million barrels of oil in that same year. (2) It is not hard to tell that American reliance on the automobile is profound. This attachment has led to the over-reliance to fossil fuels that makes us the #1 overall consumer of oil although we only have 4.5% of the world population and are the 3rd largest country in terms of population.(3)
This research derives from the admittance that the automobile transportation industry needs rethinking. Specifically though, this research focuses on the case study of one company that is actively seeking change: Better Place. Better Place has designed, from the bottom up, a completely new system of transportation based on the promise of electric vehicles.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Vehicles:
Advantages:
-More efficient drive train and gear system, with higher torque than combustion engine vehicles.
-No pollutants at vehicle source.
-Cheaper to run and repair
Disadvantages:
-Need for charging stations
-battery charge range and battery life needs improving
-Safety not as well researched
Who is Better Place?: Better Place is a venture-backed company launched, as Project Better Place, by Shai Agassi on October 29, 2007. The company is based in Palo Alto, California and their mission is to be:
“The global provider of Electric vehicle networks and services”
“Better Place delivers the network and services that make an electric car affordable to buy, easy to use, and amazing to own. Subscription packages give drivers access to a network of charge spots, battery switch stations and systems that optimize the driving experience and minimize environmental impact and cost.” (4)
How Better Place Plans to use the Electric Vehicle:
As of April 2009 Better Place has already raised $400 million and several countries and states have offered tax breaks. In January 2008, Better Place announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Renault-Nissan to build the world's first Electric Recharge Grid Operator (ERGO) model for Israel. Under the agreement, Better Place will build the electric recharge grid, and Renault-Nissan will provide the electric vehicles. In 2009, Better Place expects to deploy hundreds of charging stations as the company moves toward wide-scale deployment in 2011. Renault has committed to spend $600 million over three years to develop a car with swappable batteries, in time to the 2011 deployment. Renault will offer electric models of existing vehicles, like the Mégane sedan, but at competitive prices to similar gasoline models.
Israel, Denmark, Australia, Japan, United States, & Canada are the launch spots for the system.The Company opened its first functional charging station in Israel the first week of December 2008
Better Place plans to deploy the infrastructure on a country-by-country basis with initial deployments beginning in 2010 and commercial sales beginning in 2012.
“Including nothing, base; no-taxes, no-subsidies, no-giveaways, 4 to 5 cents a mile for the battery, 1 or 2 cents a mile for the electricity depending on whether you use coal or, you do what we [Better Place] do, you use wind and solar at 2 cents. So we're roughly at about 6, 7 cents a mile." – Shai Agassi, Better Place founder and CEO
Better Place anticipates implementing an economic model similar to the mobile telephone industry; the initial cost of an electric vehicle may be subsidized by the ongoing per-distance revenue contract just as mobile handset purchases are subsidized by per-minute mobile service contracts. Better Place plans initially to charge US$0.08/mile in 2010, then US$0.04/mile by 2015 and US$0.02/mile by 2020. The electric cars will be sold separately from their battery pack "fuel" akin to the way that petrol cars are sold separately from their fuel.
In March 2008, Deutsche Bank analysts issued a glowing report stating that the company's approach could be a "paradigm shift" that causes "massive disruption" to the auto industry, and which has "the potential to eliminate the gasoline engine altogether."
Introduction:
In 2007 there were 244.4 Million registered vehicles in US. (1) The US consumed almost 21 million barrels of oil in that same year. (2) It is not hard to tell that American reliance on the automobile is profound. This attachment has led to the over-reliance to fossil fuels that makes us the #1 overall consumer of oil although we only have 4.5% of the world population and are the 3rd largest country in terms of population.(3)
This research derives from the admittance that the automobile transportation industry needs rethinking. Specifically though, this research focuses on the case study of one company that is actively seeking change: Better Place. Better Place has designed, from the bottom up, a completely new system of transportation based on the promise of electric vehicles.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Vehicles:
Advantages:
- -More efficient drive train and gear system, with higher torque than combustion engine vehicles.
- -No pollutants at vehicle source.
- -Cheaper to run and repair
Disadvantages:Who is Better Place?:
Better Place is a venture-backed company launched, as Project Better Place, by Shai Agassi on October 29, 2007. The company is based in Palo Alto, California and their mission is to be:
“The global provider of Electric vehicle networks and services”
“Better Place delivers the network and services that make an electric car affordable to buy, easy to use, and amazing to own. Subscription packages give drivers access to a network of charge spots, battery switch stations and systems that optimize the driving experience and minimize environmental impact and cost.” (4)
How Better Place Plans to use the Electric Vehicle:
Below is a short video clip of how Better Place vehicles will work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bfz_x9e2Fo
And here is a beautiful video called “A day in the life of a Better Place Electric Vehicle”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU7I90AooOE
As of April 2009 Better Place has already raised $400 million and several countries and states have offered tax breaks. In January 2008, Better Place announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Renault-Nissan to build the world's first Electric Recharge Grid Operator (ERGO) model for Israel. Under the agreement, Better Place will build the electric recharge grid, and Renault-Nissan will provide the electric vehicles. In 2009, Better Place expects to deploy hundreds of charging stations as the company moves toward wide-scale deployment in 2011. Renault has committed to spend $600 million over three years to develop a car with swappable batteries, in time to the 2011 deployment. Renault will offer electric models of existing vehicles, like the Mégane sedan, but at competitive prices to similar gasoline models.
Israel, Denmark, Australia, Japan, United States, & Canada are the launch spots for the system.The Company opened its first functional charging station in Israel the first week of December 2008
Better Place plans to deploy the infrastructure on a country-by-country basis with initial deployments beginning in 2010 and commercial sales beginning in 2012.
Better Place launches switchable-battery electric taxis in Tokyo today
Posted by Kiyotaka Fujii, President, Better Place Japan & Head of Business Development, Asia Pacific
April 25th, 2010
“Including nothing, base; no-taxes, no-subsidies, no-giveaways, 4 to 5 cents a mile for the battery, 1 or 2 cents a mile for the electricity depending on whether you use coal or, you do what we [Better Place] do, you use wind and solar at 2 cents. So we're roughly at about 6, 7 cents a mile." – Shai Agassi, Better Place founder and CEO
Better Place anticipates implementing an economic model similar to the mobile telephone industry; the initial cost of an electric vehicle may be subsidized by the ongoing per-distance revenue contract just as mobile handset purchases are subsidized by per-minute mobile service contracts. Better Place plans initially to charge US$0.08/mile in 2010, then US$0.04/mile by 2015 and US$0.02/mile by 2020. The electric cars will be sold separately from their battery pack "fuel" akin to the way that petrol cars are sold separately from their fuel.
In March 2008, Deutsche Bank analysts issued a glowing report stating that the company's approach could be a "paradigm shift" that causes "massive disruption" to the auto industry, and which has "the potential to eliminate the gasoline engine altogether."
References:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_vehicles_in_the_United_States
2. http://www.eia.doe.gov/basics/quickoil.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population
4. http://www.betterplace.com/solution/
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Place